Observations, Rants, and Examination, of things political, philosophical, historical and tragicomical. Likely to be yet another collection of barnacles on the hull of blogshpere.

Thursday, November 25

Happy Thanksgiving, Republican Aristocratic Hubris edition.

Guest poster upyernose one of the guest posters subbing for Atrios while he is away enjoying Barcelona, points us in the direction of a Texas State Race in which the incumbant lost both the original tally and a recount, and now has decided to take it to the TX lege. I guess this guy is gonn have to have his cold dead ass pryed out of his seat, as it would appear that the will of the people are of little concern if you are a Republican. As Yoda might say, " the stink of entitlement is strong in this one".

Heflin wants House seat back or a new electionBy JOE STINEBAKER
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

State Rep. Talmadge Heflin asked the state House of Representatives today to overturn the results of his failed re-election bid and either order him returned to the Legislature or call for a new election.

Heflin's attorney, Andy Taylor, said the election results in state House District 149 in southwest Harris County were fraught with voting irregularities and potential fraud, most of which occurred in predominantly Democratic precincts.

Ooooh the dual boogeymen of irregularities and Fraud, where have I heard that before, and what was the response to questions? Oh, yeah that's right. "Get Over It". I'm thinking, and I might be wrong, but since the republicans are in controll in TX which included the running of the elections, and I might be going out on a limb here, but that the local board of election officials are republican, one might conclude that if there were any funny business it would benefit our multi term "Real American" Heflin, rather than his opponent a former Vietnamese boat person. Just sayin'.

"The true outcome of this election was stolen from the voters in House District 149," Taylor said Tuesday. "We will prove that Representative Talmadge Heflin was re-elected."

Heflin, a Republican member of the House since 1983 and chairman of its Appropriations Committee, lost to Democratic businessman Hubert Vo by 32 votes earlier this month. But Heflin's campaign alleges that those election results include at least 248 irregularities that could have altered the outcome.

Hell it worked in 2000, in Florida, why the fuck not re run that playbook, and call everything into question. now that he brings it up, one wonders if those 248 "irregularities" may have had any impact on the other races in the district.

Taylor said he will file notice today that the Heflin campaign intends to contest the election in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. That will require that House Speaker Tom Craddick order a House committee to investigate Heflin's allegations.

After the committee reports its findings, the full House will decide whether to seat Vo or Heflin or call for a new election. The House's decision will be binding, said a spokesman for the Texas secretary of state's office.
...............
Although there have been several election contests in the Texas House in recent years, none has reversed an election result, and most were withdrawn after they were filed.

Officials with the Vo campaign have said they are confident that their candidate won a fair election and have called on Heflin to concede.
...............
Heflin's decision to contest the election is part of a two-pronged effort to return him to the Legislature. On Monday, Heflin requested a manual recount of all ballots cast in the election.

His best chance for recapturing his House seat probably lies with the election contest because the recount is not allowed to go into the issues of voting irregularities but must focus exclusively on the ballots cast in the election.

Good luck with that buddy. I know mr Heflin,I know, you have been in that seat since 1983. I understand why you feel it should be yours again, if not in perpetuity and I certainly respect that you could not envision having your seat taken by a gook, probably a dirty one at that. meanwhile lets see what the elections officer has to say about the situation.

Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Paul Bettencourt, the county's voter registrar, said Tuesday that he was somewhat familiar with the Heflin campaign's allegations.

Bettencourt, a Republican, agreed that many of the allegations raised by the campaign would involve illegal votes, but he said such votes are not uncommon in large elections.

Bettencourt said that in the heat of conducting an election, precinct judges often mistakenly allow ineligible voters to cast their ballots or reject ballots from eligible voters.

The number of such complaints is usually too small to affect an election's outcome, he said, although it could have an impact in an election as close as the Heflin-Vo race.

I won't be suprised if they ultimately decide in Heflins favor, cause, you know IOKIYAR. but it would be interesting if they chose to hold another election, and see how the voters of Harris county respond to these tactics. The county voter registrar is indeed a republican. I wonder how powerfull the Vietnamese Mafia is in Harris county?

The Bill of Rights

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom
of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably
to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment II

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,
the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Amendment III

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house,
without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war,
but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses,
papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,
shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon
probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly
describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime,
unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases
arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual
service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject
for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb;
nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself,
nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law;
nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy
and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein
the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously
ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation;
to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for
obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

Amendment VII

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars,
the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall
be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States,
than according to the rules of the common law.

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not
be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution,
nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the
States respectively, or to the people.

Gettysburg Address

Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation,
conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived
and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to
dedicate a portion of it as a final resting place for those who died here that that nation might
live. This we may, in all propriety do. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot
consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have
hallowed it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember
what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.

It is rather for us the living,
we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take
increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion--that
we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation shall have a
new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not
perish from the earth."